High Chair Buying Tips

A well-designed high chair will alleviate, or at least minimize, a little bit of the craziness at meal time and create a good bonding moment for you and baby. Problem is, there are SO many high chairs to choose from – so how do you know which one is BEST?

She’s also super smart and keeps all the baby’s food and snacks in one of those little bar refrigerators off to one side in her kitchen so she always has everything she needs at mealtime.

Let’s talk about some other things you need to keep in mind when buying a high chair.

The fundamental components of a baby high chair are comprised of either metal tubing or molded plastic frame, a seat that has a harness, a high chair safety belt and a footrest. From there, the additional options are endless! The good news is that, you don’t need to spend a lot of money for a quality baby high chair.

For the look of yesteryear, you may come across those old fashioned baby high chairs made out of wood. Those models have removable trays for ‘easy’ baby access. These ‘antique’ high chairs didn’t provide much comfort, especially when compared to the cushioned seating you’ll find in a modern high chair. And standards for safety have made great strides and it’s unlikely that these old-time high chairs would come close to today’s certification standards.

Fortunately, these days high chairs are packed with convenience features like trays and tray inserts you can safely load in the dishwasher and they are highly adjustable to fit your child. Some highchairs are purposely made to grow right along with your baby and can ‘morph’ into a chair and table for continued use as the little tyke gets bigger.

When searching for a new high chair, look for one that is a sturdy, stable chair that can withstand standard abuse like messy spills, kicking legs, being moved about, and the never-ending cleaning. At least for one year anyway. And you’ll be surprised to learn that baby will not be needing the high chair for as long as you may initially intended.

Toddlers are ‘notorious’ for wanting to sit in a ‘big people chair’! So even though high chairs are designed to provide the needs of an infant up through three-year olds, toddlers most likely will demand their ‘freedom’ way before reaching their third birthday.

When ‘test-driving’ a new highchair, here are a few things to consider when deciding on a specific chair.

For Starters, try to work the safety harness one-handed. This is likely the situation you’re most apt to find yourself when you’ve got a babe-in-arms. If you can’t adjust the harness with a single hand, you may not use it for every meal. For safety reasons, securing a baby is mandatory so be sure the harness is easy to use.

For a baby high chair to meet safety certification standards, a 3-position harness is required. You may see some models with a 5-point harness. Naturally, these offer even more security because they stop your baby from standing up when in the chair, but a three-point restraint is all that is considered necessary.

The tray is something else you should check. ‘You’ ought to be able to adjust it – but not the baby. In fact, the latches on the tray should not even be visible to the child. If the baby can’t see it, all temptation to tamper with it is alleviated.

Next, examine the ‘crotch post’. This device keeps the baby from sliding beneath the tray and completely out of the chair. Which you definitely do not want to happen! During your test-drive, you may also want to determine how the height adjustment functions. Not every high chair has height changes but it might be capable to change up to 8 completely different settings.

The good thing about the ability to adjust the seat height is that it makes it easier for you to place the baby in the chair based on your height. And, setting it at the proper height allows the small one to sit at the ‘big people table’ so everyone can eat together.

The chair’s upholstery is another item to check out. Does it look like it can last through lots of baby cruelty? The upholstery shouldn’t contain visible seams that may inflict scratches on little legs but it ought to feel sturdy and fairly firm. Naturally, the seat cover most likely will endure plenty of spills therefore the fabric ought to be easy to clean with a dishtowel or disinfectant wipe.

If the model you’re considering has wheels, you will want a style where the wheels can be locked. Nearly all wheeled highchairs have a self-locking mechanism that is automatically set simply by the weight of the the baby when placed in the seat.

Naturally you do not want any rough or sharp edges which will cause injury to your babe. This is all the more important on the underside of the tray where active, kicking legs are found. Feel the complete surface of the bottom to make certain there’s nothing sharp or rough that might inflict any kind of injury to your precious baby.

Throughout your thorough examination, keep an eye out for little openings or gaps in the hinges where tiny fingers could find their way into. Are there any little elements such as caps or plugs on the chair? If so, they must be snug-fitted so they aren’t capable of coming loose.

We all know babies place everything in their mouths and any tiny, loose parts might be potentially hazardous. So be observant for any little part that could create a problem.

Lastly, you’ll want to actually fold the chair. You’ll likely be moving the chair out of sight each day therefore you may prefer a model that is easy to fold. You don’t want a unruly, stubborn chair that doesn’t fold easily.